Gallant Sports Launches Innovative Turf and Tiles
Delhi, India – April 15, 2025: Gallant Sports, India’s leading name in sports infrastructure, today announced the launch of an advanced new line of smart sports flooring and modular field systems. This strategic product rollout is a key pillar of Gallant Sports’ Vision 2036 roadmap and supports the company’s momentum toward its upcoming Initial Public Offering (IPO) later this year. These offerings aim to make global-standard sports infrastructure more accessible across India and beyond.
“At Gallant Sports, we’re committed to shaping the future of sports in India,” said Nasir Ali, Founder & CEO of Gallant Sports. “This new product line reflects our mission to deliver innovative, safe, and sustainable solutions that elevate athletic performance and community well-being.”
He added, “We’re not just building sports fields—we’re building ecosystems that empower athletes and institutions alike.”
Product Innovation Highlights
Sports Tiles: Engineered for performance, safety, and durability, Gallant’s next-gen sports tiles are ideal for basketball, volleyball, futsal, and multi-sport courts. Available in models like Titan, Hexagonal 2.0, and Rubber Elastomer Tiles, they’re made from high-quality TPE—the same material approved by FIBA 3×3. These tiles offer excellent impact absorption, energy return, and weather adaptability—reducing the risk of injuries while ensuring all-weather play.
Pre-Fabricated Sports Rubber Flooring: Designed for both indoor and outdoor use, these versatile and eco-friendly flooring options come in three thicknesses (5 mm, 8 mm, and 13 mm) to support everything from general recreation to professional-level track and field. Fully recyclable and non-toxic, these floors meet World Athletics standards and promote a safer, odor-free sports experience.
FIFA-Tested Non-Infill Turf: Gallant’s new synthetic turf eliminates the need for traditional rubber infill, offering a cooler, cleaner, and more sustainable playing surface. Certified under the FIFA Quality Programme, this turf is ideal for football, hockey, and multi-sport fields. It’s also easier to install—paired with shock pads for peak performance and durability. As SBR infill faces global phase-out by 2031, non-infill turf positions Gallant at the forefront of future-ready turf technology.
High-Performance Shockpads with Geo-Textile: Critical for injury prevention and playfield longevity, Gallant’s advanced shock pads feature a geo-textile base layer and GSM rating of 70+. Available in 10 mm to 20 mm thicknesses, they ensure superior shock absorption and drainage. Ideal for football fields, playgrounds, and multi-sport surfaces, these shock pads meet international safety benchmarks and significantly reduce the impact of falls—especially important in children’s play zones and high-impact areas.
Daasi Ma’ Haunts the City: Soha Ali Khan’s Chilling Presence Sparks Intrigue
Prime Video’s Chhorii 2 has been making waves since its launch, earning love from horror fans and viewers alike. But as the film continues to terrify audiences on screen, something even more unsettling has crept into real life – Daasi Ma has stepped out of the shadows, and into the city. Over the weekend, several people across different locations in the city were left bewildered after spotting a mysterious woman dressed in black and her face veiled. Silent, still, and chillingly composed— her sudden appearances have left some intrigued and others truly spooked.
Fueling the mystery further, Soha Ali Khan, who plays the eerie role of ‘Daasi Ma’ in the film, shared an Instagram post. For those who encountered the haunting figure in real life, her post sent a shiver down their spine, adding another layer of suspense.
Adding to the buzz is a striking hoarding that’s gone up in different parts of the city, showcasing Soha’s character in full Daasi Ma form— her expression intense, her face shrouded by a dark veil. Lit against the night sky, the visual has been turning heads and stopping passersby in their tracks.
Produced by T-Series, Abundantia Entertainment, Psych, and Tamarisk Lane Production, the horror thriller film is directed by Vishal Furia, featuring the stellar Nushrratt Bharuccha and Soha Ali Khan in lead roles. The film is now streaming on Prime Video and over 240 countries and territories worldwide.
IPO-bound Belrise Industries Limited Expands with H-One
April 15, 2025: Belrise, an automotive-component manufacturer and one of the top companies in the overall two-wheeler metal components segment in India, announced the acquisition of H-One India from Japan-based publicly listed H-One Co., Ltd. (H-One Co.). This move aims to expand Belrise’s design and manufacturing capabilities and strengthen its position as a supplier of chassis systems and body-in-white parts in the Indian automotive market.
H-One India, the Indian subsidiary of H-One Co., is involved in the design and manufacturing of high-tensile steel components and high-tensile tool development for 4-wheelers and 2-wheelers. High-tensile steel components are crucial for light-weighting, enhancing vehicle safety, fuel efficiency, and overall performance. These high-tensile materials offer superior strength-to-weight ratios, enabling automakers to design lighter yet durable and robust vehicles that meet stringent safety and environmental standards.
H-One India’s established clientele includes multiple marquee Indian and Japanese 4-wheeler and 2-Wheeler OEMs. This acquisition will broaden Belrise’s customer base as well as increase product diversification within its existing customers.
Through this acquisition, Belrise aims to enhance its production capacity and logistical efficiency by leveraging H-One India’s two manufacturing facilities in North India and integrating H-One India’s core technological capabilities.
Narayana One Health Reimagines Insurance with Arya
Bengaluru, 15th April 2025: Arya Health Plans, a pioneering initiative that brings together the world of healthcare and health insurance in a single plan, has launched a refreshing and innovative take aimed at transforming the way people perceive health insurance. With this initiative, Arya Health Plans aims to redefine health insurance as a proactive partner in a customer’s journey to good health, rather than just a financial safety net in times of sickness.
Offering a seamless blend of OPD visits, savings on diagnostics, medicines and more, comprehensive hospitalization coverage and the first-time-in-India One Health promise, Arya ensures that access to quality healthcare is effortless and stress-free. What’s more, customers can enjoy tracking their health and even medicine deliveries!
Moving away from conventional fear-driven messaging, Arya Health Plans introduces The Troubadour—a charismatic, musical mascot to deliver the brand’s message in an impactful manner that is easily understood by all.
A Campaign That Breaks the Norm
Unlike traditional insurance advertisements that focus on emergencies and financial distress, Arya Health Plans takes a unique approach by blending humour, music and storytelling. The campaign’s protagonist, The Troubadour, delivers crucial messages through an engaging, musical narrative about the insurance initiative that will strive to work for better health for its customers, and make health insurance feel less intimidating and more relatable.
The campaign films showcase everyday healthcare scenarios, with The Troubadour guiding people through the benefits of Arya Health Plans using wit and charm. This strategy ensures high recall value while making the concept of health insurance more accessible to a broader audience.
A Fresh Take on Health Insurance Awareness
The campaign highlights how Arya Health Plans integrates essential healthcare services, ensuring individuals and families can access medical care without worrying about financial constraints. By focusing on proactive healthcare solutions, Arya seeks to encourage more people to see insurance as a valuable and necessary investment in their well-being.
“At Narayana One Health, we believe that health insurance should be a source of reassurance, not fear. This campaign is a step towards making insurance feel approachable, engaging and truly beneficial for everyday healthcare needs. By integrating a range of proactive healthcare benefits, we are ensuring that people no longer see insurance as just an emergency backup, but as an essential part of their well-being,” said Ravi Vishwanath, CEO, Narayana One Health
Transforming Perceptions Through Creativity
Arya Health Plans isn’t just another insurance product—it is a testament to Narayana One Health’s commitment to proactive, lifelong care. The mission is simple: To be there for our customers every step of the way, guiding and supporting them on their journey to better health. Healthcare and Health Insurance have always been two opposite sides of the coin and it was high time to bridge that gap!
“To bring this vision to life in our launch films, we introduced the Troubadour—a charming, ever-present yet playful character who embodies our promise of continuous care. Rather than relying on fear-based messaging, we chose humour to create a fresh, engaging narrative that truly stands out. This film marks a very important step in making Arya Health Plans, a partner in your journey (not limited to a guest appearance like an Insurance plan) to help redefine a customers’ presumption on what they expect from their Insurance partners,” said Gunjan Khaitan Shahabadi, Head Marketing and Category Management.
This campaign plays a crucial role in positioning the brand as an innovative and customer-centric health insurance provider. By challenging industry norms and engaging audiences through storytelling, Arya Health Plans aims to drive greater awareness and adoption of its services. Currently available exclusively in Bengaluru, Arya Health Plans will be extended to different parts of the country in due course of time.
The campaign is expected to generate strong resonance among urban consumers and younger audiences, particularly those who may be hesitant to explore health insurance due to its perceived complexity and because group or corporate coverage is usually not enough to get by. By making the experience informative, Arya Health Plans hopes to encourage more individuals to take proactive steps toward securing their health.
BofA’s Global Workforce Boosted by AI Integration
CHARLOTTE, NC / LONDON / HONG KONG / MUMBAI – Bank of America uses innovative technology to meet and anticipate the needs of its clients and 213,000 employees. For many years, this commitment has carried through in its approach to AI and machine learning. The technology is embedded today across the company’s business lines and areas including global technology, operations, and training.
“AI is having a transformative effect on employee efficiency and operational excellence,” said Aditya Bhasin, Chief Technology & Information Officer at Bank of America. “Our use of AI at scale and around the world enables us to further enhance our capabilities, improve employee productivity and client service, and drive business growth.”
Seven years ago, in 2018, Bank of America launched Erica®, the first widely adopted AI-driven virtual financial assistant, within its mobile app. Since then, clients have interacted with Erica more than 2.5 billion times, with 20 million clients now actively using the virtual assistant.
Bank of America’s approach to AI includes human oversight, transparency, and accountability for all outcomes. In addition to recently shared examples of how AI benefits clients and employees, our employees’ use of AI continues to expand in areas such as:
- Erica for Employees – Building upon Erica’s success, in 2020, Bank of America launched Erica for Employees, an AI-driven internal virtual assistant which was rapidly adopted during the pandemic by employees seeking technology support in areas such as mobile device password reset, device activation, and many others. In 2023, the functionality was expanded to assist with additional topics such as where to review health benefits, locate payroll and tax forms, and more.
Today, over 90% of employees use Erica for Employees, with the virtual assistant having reduced calls into the IT service desk by more than 50%. The capabilities will expand this year to offer enhanced search and assistance across a broader set of topics – including answers to employee questions about Bank of America products and services – with plans to leverage both AI and generative AI (GenAI).
- ask MERRILL® and ask Private Banking® – Leveraging the technology behind Erica, these tools help Merrill and Bank of America Private Bank teams efficiently curate information to deliver superior client experiences. When needed, the chat functionality can also connect teams with experts at the bank for help with more complex requests. In 2024, there were more than 23 million interactions with ask MERRILL and ask Private Banking, an increase of 1 million over 2023, helping employees more proactively connect with clients about timely and relevant opportunities.
- Capturing client feedback – This internally-developed GenAI capability is used by Bank of America call centers to summarize call recordings, which helps increase efficiency and ensure the company remains in tune with clients’ needs and improves their experiences. Previously, teammates would manually generate these summaries. Future enhancements this year will extend to other communication channels.
- The Academy – Bank of America’s onboarding, education, and professional development organization uses AI to provide interactive coaching through conversation simulators that enable teammates to practice different types of client interactions and increase proficiency through real-time feedback. Employees completed over 1 million simulations last year, with many noting that practicing client conversations helps them deliver better and more consistent service.
Additional AI deployments underway helping to increase employee productivity and improve client service include:
- Coding assistance – Bank of America software developers are using a GenAI-based tool to assist with code writing and optimization, through which they have experienced efficiency gains of over 20%.
- Preparing for client meetings – Developing materials in preparation for meetings with current and prospective business clients can take several hours per meeting. AI helps automate and standardize the creation of drafts of materials for meetings with Bank of America Business Banking and Global Commercial Banking clients, with the opportunity for employees to reallocate tens of thousands of hours per year to client engagement and growth.
- Contact center optimization – A modernized desktop tool leveraging AI proactively provides guided assistance to customer service specialists in Bank of America contact centers, enabling them to deliver a more personalized client experience, increase client satisfaction, and reduce call handling times.
- Research summaries – An internally-developed GenAI platform enables the Global Markets sales and trading team to search, summarize, and synthesize our industry-leading research and market commentary more quickly and efficiently.
AI Patent Portfolio
Bank of America holds nearly 7,400 granted patents and pending patent applications, the most U.S. granted patents of any financial services company. More than 1,200 of these patents are AI and machine learning focused – representing 17% of the patent portfolio – and more than half have already been granted.
Other technology categories in which new patents were granted last year include information security, online and mobile banking, payments, data analytics, and augmented and virtual reality. This is thanks to the company’s more than 7,800 talented inventors in 14 countries and 42 U.S. states, and a culture that empowers teammates to explore and develop innovative solutions for individuals and businesses globally.
Bank of America spends $13 billion annually on technology, of which approximately $4 billion will be directed to new technology initiatives in 2025.
Bank of America
Bank of America is one of the world’s leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 69 million consumer and small business clients with 3,700 retail financial centers, approximately 15,000 ATMs (automated teller machines) and award-winning digital banking with approximately 58 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 4 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and more than 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BAC).
Bank of India Withdraws its Special 400 Days Fixed Deposit
Chandigarh, April 15, 2025: Bank of India, one of the leading public sector banks in India, has announced to withdraw its special fixed deposit scheme for 400 days where interest rate was at maximum of 7.30%. Also, Bank has reduced Rate of Interest on its short-term & medium-term Fixed Deposits for various maturities w.e.f 15th April 2025. The bank has reduced its rate for Fixed Deposits for amount of less than Rs.3.00 Crs and is now offering 4.25% for deposits maturing between 91 days and 179 days and 5.75% for 180 days to less than 1 year. Deposits for one year would get an interest rate of 7.05% while those above 1 year up to 2 years would get 6.75%. The deposit in the amount bucket of 3 crores to less than Rs 10 Crs, Bank will be offering 5.75% for deposits maturing between 91 days and 179 days, 6.25% for 180 days to up to 210 days, and 6.50% for deposits of 211 days to less than one year. Deposits for one year would get an interest rate of 7.05% while those above 1 year to less than 2 years would get 6.70%. The revised rates are to be made effective from 15th April, 2025. An additional rate of interest of 0.65% on deposits of Super Senior Citizens and 0.50% on deposits of Senior Citizens below Rs. 3 Crs is offered for Fixed Deposits with a maturity period of 6 months & above.
Nandi Economic Corridor Enterprise Ltd Receives Recognition
Bengaluru April 14, 2025* – Nandi Economic Corridor Enterprise (NECE) Ltd, a leading infrastructure development company, was honored with the Achievement Award for Best Construction Projects under Category F at the 16th CIDC Vishwakarma Awards 2025, instituted by the Construction Industry Development Council, set up jointly by Planning Commission (Govt of India) and construction industry
The ceremony took place on April 11, 2025, at the Bhim Auditorium, Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, Janpath, New Delhi.
The award recognizes NECE Ltd’s outstanding work on the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project in Bengaluru, Karnataka. This project showcases the company’s commitment to delivering high-quality infrastructure solutions that transform the urban landscape.
“We are thrilled to receive this prestigious award, which acknowledges our team’s dedication and expertise in delivering exceptional infrastructure projects. The BMIC project is a testament to our company’s vision of creating world-class infrastructure that drives economic growth and improves the quality of life for citizens,” said Mr. Ashok Kheny, Managing Director, Nandi Economic Corridor Enterprise (NECE) Ltd.
“This award is a recognition of our team’s hard work and commitment to excellence. We are proud to be contributing to the growth and development of the region through our infrastructure projects, and we look forward to continuing to deliver innovative and sustainable solutions for urban infrastructure challenges,” added Mr. Ashok Kheny.
The 16th CIDC Vishwakarma Awards 2025 celebrated the best of the construction industry, and NECE Ltd is the only company from Karnataka to receive the prestigious award in the infrastructure category, which is a testament to the company’s commitment to excellence in infrastructure development.
Kshema Insurance Teams Up with Punjab Kings Stars

Commenting on the new campaign film, Bhaskar Thakur, Chief Marketing Officer, Kshema General Insurance Limited said, “We believe awareness and preparation are the keys to protection, irrespective of the field. Cricket, with its following in India, is one the most effective vehicles to take this message across the country which is why we chose to leverage our partner Punjab Kings’ strong connection with its roots to aid our outreach. I hope the star-power of Shreyas, Arshdeep, and Shashank will act as a catalyst in increasing awareness about insurance and its effectiveness in mitigating economic hardships.”
Bajaj Allianz Unveils Women-Only Protection Plan
New Delhi, April 15, 2025: Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance, one of India’s leading private life insurers, has launched Bajaj Allianz Life Superwoman Term (SWT), a comprehensive protection solution exclusively for women. This pioneering solution goes beyond traditional life insurance, offering financial security with term insurance benefits, critical illness benefits covering women specific conditions, an optional child care benefit, and health management services, ensuring holistic protection for women and their families.
Women excel at taking care of their families, and their own financial security should be just as strong. Bajaj Allianz Life Superwoman Term helps them stay financially independent, supports them in securing their life goals by providing financial confidence and stability at every stage of their journey. Key features of the plan include:
- Comprehensive Financial Security through term insurance: Understanding the evolving roles of women and their unique financial needs, SWT provides a lumpsum payout to the nominee on death of the life assured to secure the financial future of dependents.
- Critical Illness (CI) Protection: With the CI rider, SWT offers coverage against 60 major critical illnesses, including women-specific conditions such as breast, cervix, and ovarian cancers. This ensures they can focus on their treatment without the added stress of financial worries during a time when it matters the most.
- Child Care Benefit: Recognizing the importance of securing a child’s future, the plan also offers an optional child care benefit—being launched for the first time with SWT—that ensures a steady monthly income to support the child’s education in case of an unfortunate event.
- Health Management Services (HMS): Going beyond financial protection, the plan offers complimentary HMS covering comprehensive health check-ups, OPD consultations, pregnancy-related support, emotional wellness programs, and nutritionist guidance—a feature that underscores the company’s commitment to women’s overall well-being.
Mr. Tarun Chugh, MD & CEO at Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance, said, “The women of today are prioritising their health, children’s well-being and financial independence. Providing them with a single financial solution to meet these key needs is our main goal with our latest solution – Bajaj Allianz Life Superwoman Term. It’s designed to empower women with the financial confidence as they march ahead to meet their own personal goals. The comprehensive solution can be customised to the varied needs of our women customers – from managing their own health needs or securing the future of their children or loved ones.”
In addition, Bajaj Allianz Life has strengthened its product portfolio over the years with a strong suite of term offerings like Bajaj Allianz Life eTouch II (A Non-linked Non- Participating Individual Life Insurance Term Plan) – designed exclusively for salaried individuals. Bajaj Allianz Life iSecure II (A Non-Linked, Non-Participating, Individual Life Insurance Term Plan) – a dedicated term plan for self-employed professionals. Bajaj Allianz Life Diabetic Term Plan II Sub 8 HbA1c (A Non-linked, Non-Participating, Individual, Pure Risk Premium Life Insurance Plan) – India’s first term plan specially for individuals with diabetes. Bajaj Allianz Life Invest Protect Goal III (A Unit-linked Non-Participating Individual Life Savings Insurance Plan) – a distinctive solution that combines high life cover with the opportunity for market-linked returns. The portfolio includes an array of products catering to diverse customer segments. The Company continues to uphold its commitment to reliability with a 99.23% claim settlement ratio (Individual Death Claim Settlement Ratio for FY 2023-2024) and a solvency ratio of 432% (as on 31st March 2024). With its innovative and customer-centric approach, Bajaj Allianz Life remains at the forefront of addressing the protection needs of its evolving customers.
For more details, visit https://www.bajajallianzlife.com/about-us.html
VerSe Innovation, Wondrlab Launch ‘The Right Sign’
Mumbai, April 15, 2025 – VerSe Innovation, India’s biggest local language technology platform, Signing Hands Foundation, India’s largest News & Entertainment channel for the Deaf, Wondrlab and Lucifer Music today announced the launch of ‘The Right Sign’ – a groundbreaking initiative that elevates Indian Sign Language (ISL) beyond a creative campaign into a meaningful social movement for inclusion.
As part of this initiative, acclaimed Indian rappers including Indeep Bakshi, V-Town Chronicles, Enkore, and Y-ASH 1HUNNED have re-released their music videos – Alone, Flex, Dhalta Chand and Jo Dekha Wo Likha respectively, replacing traditional gang signs with meaningful ISL expressions. The campaign has also released a comprehensive tutorial featuring 40 essential phrases taught by these rappers, empowering millions to communicate effectively with the deaf speech & hear community. The initiative encourages other artists and creators to include sign language in their performances, helping make ISL a widely accepted communication tool. With creative execution by Wondrlab and music collaboration from Lucifer Music, the campaign harnesses the power of music and digital storytelling to drive a nationwide movement for accessibility and inclusion.
At its core, ‘The Right Sign’ aims to normalize ISL in mainstream culture while addressing the significant communication barriers between hearing and deaf communities across India.
Samir Vora, Chief Marketing Officer of VerSe Innovation, said “We’re launching ‘The Right Sign’ as more than just a campaign – it’s about fundamental inclusion and leveraging cultural influence to bridge long-standing gaps. With our platforms reaching millions daily, we see this as a powerful opportunity to normalize sign language and integrate it into pop culture. This represents just the beginning of our commitment, as we invite others across the ecosystem to join this transformative journey. ‘The Right Sign’ reflects VerSe Innovation’s broader commitment to building inclusive digital ecosystems that serve diverse communities across India.”
Alok Kejriwal, Founder & CEO of Signing Hands Foundation, highlights “Sign language is more than just a communication tool—it represents culture, identity, and fundamental rights that deserve recognition. VerSe Innovation’s initiative to this cause is a significant step for our community. ‘The Right Sign’ stands out by using VerSe’s digital reach to turn awareness into action. By empowering the hearing community to embrace ISL, VerSe is not just including the deaf community but helping reshape our narrative in Indian society.”
Amit Akali, Co-founder and CCO at Wondrlab, talking about the campaign said, “The thought for this campaign formed around the cultural insight of rappers throwing gang signs that have no relevance in India and young people copying them. While sign language, which are also signs, is not known to most Indians. That is why we chose rap. Because entertainment is the best form of education. Especially when your mission is to teach India sign language. Real-time efforts were put in by all the rappers. They spend time learning the sign language and incorporated them in their music videos. Hoping everyone takes this as a sign and joins The Right Signs initiative”
Lucifer Music said “At Lucifer Music, we’ve always believed that music transcends boundaries — of language, ability, and identity. This campaign was an exciting and necessary step in bringing that belief to life. Collaborating with talented musicians to create content that harnesses the power of hip-hop and rap, while seamlessly incorporating sign language, was a powerful reminder that music truly belongs to everyone. A big shoutout to VerSe Innovations and Wondrlab for conceiving such a bold and inclusive idea — we applaud their vision. We’re proud to be part of a movement that turns inclusion from a good intention into a true celebration.”
Enkore said, “When I first heard about ‘The Right Sign,’ it just clicked. We had an opportunity to transform the signs in our videos into meaningful communication that bridges communities. Learning sign language changed everything for me—it’s raw, powerful, and deeply human. Music has always been about expression, but now I realize our visual language matters too. There are millions in India using sign language daily, yet we barely try to understand them. VerSe is breaking down walls that should have come down long ago.”
Astarif – V Town Chronicles said, ‘Using rap—something authentic and from the streets—to mainstream sign language was an instant yes for me. We throw signs in videos all the time, but this is the first time those gestures actually mean something real. Music is pure emotion, and sign language adds a whole new dimension to that expression. It is time we normalize seeing and using ISL everywhere, especially in youth culture. This movement is not just about inclusion—it is about evolution.’
This collaborative campaign is a celebration of expression and inclusion, encouraging people across India to learn, connect, and empower through Indian Sign Language.
Watch the campaign’s music videos here: #TheRightSigns